Brewers appoint new head coach

Burton Albion Football Club has announced the appointment of Mark Robinson as its new head coach.

Mark arrives at the Pirelli Stadium from Premier League club Chelsea, where he has spent the last two years as Head Coach of their Under-21 side.

Highly regarded for his development of young players, he began his coaching career in the youth ranks at AFC Wimbledon during their non-league days and made a significant impact whilst the first team made their ascent up the divisions to achieve league status.

During his 18 years with the Dons, he helped structure the Club’s academy, earning it the reputation of being one of the most successful Category 3 academies in the country, and then oversaw it as academy manager, where the team enjoyed some memorable FA Youth Cup runs.

Mark was also credited with helping the development of a number of players for the first-team squad, including Will Nightingale, Toby Sibbick, Anthony Harrigan, Jack Rudoni, Ayoub Assal, Jack Currie, as well as Ryan Sweeney.

In January 2021, he stepped up to become head coach of the first team.

Just two months later, he joined Chelsea and led the Under-21 side to a third-place finish in the Premier League 2 with a team containing the likes of Lewis Hall, Omari Hutchinson and Alfie Gilchrist.

He followed that up this year as the team secured qualification for the inaugural PL2 playoffs by finishing fourth with one of the youngest sides in the league.

Speaking about his appointment, Mark said: “I’m extremely proud to have been given this opportunity at Burton Albion. When the new owners outlined their plans and intentions for the future and meeting Ben Robinson, it really excited me in terms of what we can achieve together here.

“The owners have been clear with what they expect; we want to build a team that connects with the fans, and style of play will be important to that. I want to create a team that is enjoyable to watch, aggressive, and energetic, one that the fans and town feel they can really get behind and be proud to represent them.

“We want to combine the team’s success with the development of young players, something that I have been committed to throughout the last two decades as a coach. The owners and I are aligned in our belief that this approach will be key to the club’s long-term success while maintaining our primary focus on winning football games.

“I’m looking forward to getting started now and getting to know everyone throughout the football club, the fans, and the wider Burton community.”

“The history of this football club is inspiring; this is a place that is all about people, purpose, and community, something that I have grown up around throughout most of my coaching career. There have been some fantastic managers here in the past, and I am honoured to be stepping into their shoes now.

Mark will be joined at the Club by Tom Hounsell, who will take up the role of assistant head coach. Tom joins from Fulham, where he led the Academy Insights department and was part of the Under-21s coaching team.

Elliott Axtell has been named strength and conditioning coach, having spent the last 15 years at Chelsea as their Under-21s strength and conditioning coach and has worked closely with Mark over the past two years.

Jake Kean completes Mark’s coaching staff, continuing in his role as the Club’s Head of Goalkeeping.